This is a perfectly smooth, delicious, sweet and tangy vegan cream cheese – without cashews or tofu!
Confession time: I’m super skeptical of the vegan cream cheese recipes out there. Most of them require tofu, nuts, cider vinegar, or some form of those ingredients spun together in a food processor.
Well I tried one of those recipes and you know what? It tasted just like nuts, tofu, and cider vinegar! It wasn’t the smooth, creamy, easily customizable base for a savory or sweet spread that I’d been hoping for. And I don’t like using cashews to experiment, because they are expensive and hard to find if you’re looking for unsalted.
***This post contains affiliate links. That means, at no extra cost to you, if you click a link and make a purchase I’ll make a commission. Thanks for supporting this site!
VEGAN PLAIN CREAM CHEESE THAT TASTES JUST LIKE THE REAL THING
Let me just clarify, I’ve tried many versions of vegan cream cheese and this is the absolute closest that I could get to the real thing in texture and taste. I’ve also used it in baking and other recipes in place of cream cheese and it works perfectly.
You’re going to prepare the cream cheese similarly to my Labneh recipe. It’s pretty much the same process, the only difference is that you’re going to be adding vanilla extract, lemon juice, and sugar to the almond milk yogurt before straining.
You can use this cream cheese just as you would use “regular” cream cheese. You can also experiment with different flavors by simply mixing your favorite flavors into the cream cheese after you strain it.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT + METHOD
To make a smooth, thick, and incredibly delicious plain vegan cream cheese, you’ll need:
- Food-grade cheesecloth (which you can get right here)
- Fine mesh strainer (this is a nice one)
- A deep pot or bowl to suspend the strainer
YOU’LL LOVE IT BECAUSE
And it’s:
- Plant-based
- Gluten-free + refined sugar free
- Smooth
- Creamy
- + Damn delicious!
OTHER PLANT BASED RECIPES TO TRY:
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE
Please let me know your thoughts in the comments and give this recipe a star rating and comment. Also, please follow me on IG @plantsdish and tag your creation #plantsdish. For more plant-forward content follow me on Pinterest!
Vegan Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond milk yogurt unsweetened
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, salt and sugar into a bowl and stir until combined.
- Double line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and gently pour the yogurt in, resist the urge to squeeze it and tie it at the top.
- In a deep bowl or pan, place the strainer on top and be sure that there's enough space at the bottom to catch the liquids as they drain.
- Place into the fridge for 24-48 hours. The longer it rests in the fridge, the thicker, and creamier it will be. After the resting period is complete, discard the cheesecloth and place the cream cheese into an airtight container or use immediately.
Delicious and so much easier to make than I thought! Love your beautiful photos!
Alison, thank you so, so much <3 Your photos area beautiful as well. Thank you for the kind words! 🙂 -Lauren